For Moms Everywhere!

As I got up today, I smelled fresh coffee. I woke up to find a cup of
it with some biscuits on my bedside table. This reminded me of home;
the old school
and college days, when mamma used to wake me up by serving a steaming
cup of coffee. The aroma, the taste, so refreshing, still so fresh in
my memories.

A sudden thought hit me, "I was in bed, so who prepared this coffee
for me? Is it a dream?"

I pinched myself, ouch... that hurts, which meant I was not dreaming.
I walked out of the room with the cup of coffee, in search of my
roommate. I asked
him whether he prepared that for me, and the answer was YES.

I was relaxed but somehow my heart wanted him to say NO. No because I
wanted to be in a belief that my mom prepared it for me. The whole
scene reminded
me of mom and I missed her at that moment.

I got ready for the office and was all set to leave, when I noticed a
lunch box kept at dining table just for me. I thanked God saying,
"Finally he(cook)
turned up". I took the box and left for office.

On my way, I was thinking about those days when mamma used to cook my
every meal; all her possible ways by which she could stuff her son. I
could not remember
any single day when I slept without food. Maggi, chips, biscuits, and
all junk food was banned though I always cooked Maggi when I was sure
that mom was
not around. But now, I no longer enjoy cooking Maggi for myself.
Almost every day I eat it, not because I like it, but because I am
left with no other
option at times.

This very thought brought tears to my eyes and I decided to call up
mom. I reached the office and gave her a call.

The first thing she asked was, "Is everything alright?" I was
speechless. And I thought, how the time has changed.

When I was with her, I used to nag her by calling after every hour
when I was out with friends. In those days she never asked me what was
wrong, as she
knew that it was my habit. My call at this point of day to her means
that I am in trouble.

Time has changed, she is still the same, and it's me who has changed.

But I continued my conversation saying that I just called up to ask
how she was and how are things going on with her. And we continued our
conversation.

Then the icebreaker came when she asked, "Don't you have any work today?"

I was shocked and asked her why she asked that. In reply she said,
"It's been almost 30 minutes that I have been talking to her."

I hurriedly ended the conversation saying I have to attend a meeting.
I lied to her and deep down I know, she knows that I lied to her. But
what else can
I do?

The lady with whom I used to have endless conversations, sleepless
nights of gossips... has all ended.

I am so occupied with my new life that I forget to spend a few hours
with her; I rollback time and think of every single day that I have
not spent with
her.

This made me realize that there was not a single day when I was busy,
busy in a sense to neglect my mom. The lady who gave her whole life
just for me,
I could not even give her the time that she deserved.

I remembered how I used to tell her about all my daily happenings and
how I always failed to ask about her day. It left me all in tears. I
missed her,
missed her to the core.

I was feeling ashamed, because it was a cup of coffee that made me
realize her presence in my world.

We all are here, away from our family; living with our friends, who
are our new family.

We spend our lunch time with them gossiping about what's going on and
around, weekend shopping with them and even festivals, as most of us
are staying
too far from home. And when we call home, we are in a hurry to hang up
as most of us are BUSY.

Are we really that busy?

Think of the lady whom we have left back at home. She still misses her
son/daughter at the dining table, although most of us enjoy our meals
with our friends
and colleagues.

She still waits all day just to hear her son/daughter's voice at the
end of the day and we, we spend our time on the phone with friends or
our girlfriend/boyfriend.

Is it really that we don't have time or is it just we are too busy
with our new life?

I apologize to all the mothers in this world and thank them for what
we are today and we were never too busy to neglect you.